3000 years ago someone made the ‘boots’ you see here; they are rhytons, drinking vessels or horns, and date from the Urartu (read more about Urartu here). You can find them in the Medusa Glass Museum, also called the Medusa Archeological Museum in Gaziantep, Turkey. This museum is richer than most archeological museums, 
yet rather small in size and hidden in a back street.
If you look around in the streets close to the Kale, the castle of Gaziantep, you can find it and most people know it so just ask around; they will show you. This museum is so much worth a visit! It is most wealthy in its collection; amazing both in the amount and the quality of its artefacts. These objects would be worth a national museum with lots of space for individual pieces. More than anything this museum shows the ‘normality’ of super ancient artefacts in this region.
If you think like me, that ‘old’ starts at least in the era BC, this museum is your place to be! Some examples: they got a range of children’s toys (‘cars’) from the early bronze age (3000-2000 BC). The picture shows 2 of them. They got lots of gold from 100 BC 
(Greek). While I was watching it, I looked around full of sorrow: was this place really well protected? The Medusa Museum gives you the idea of a home, rather than a museum with full security equipment… I thought (you never know). 
And what about this strange object that is apparently from a very old age; it is exhibited in between a marvellous Hittite stone piece and several tablets with cuneiform writing. Alas the lack of information makes you wonder without finding the answer…
Moreover there are some figurines from 6000-5400 BC; this means among the oldest findings ever. 
They reminded me of findings in Malta, where the same kind of mother goddess or fertility statues were found and nobody can explain what culture they belonged to, what they mean. There is a similarity with the figurines shown in the Medusa Museum which would support the theory that in ancient times certain places served religious rituals with regard to fertility and/or the female godess.
These are just some examples. The Medusa Museum is full of comparable pieces, and glass work, stone and glass jewelry that I do not show her
e. To finalize: there is some amazing Roman stuff (more recent, 100-200 AC):
– ‘sexual objects’ that I do not show so you have a reason to go there.
– a breast pump (really!) made out of glass. All kind of ideas came to my mind when I watched it.
For those who love ancient times and who think `ancient` goes further back than the Middle Ages, the Medusa Glass Museum in Gaziantep is a dream – you have to go there. The title `glass museum` is misleading: there are indeed many glass objects, but even more impressive is the collection of unique non-glass pieces that deserve a full presentation (it reminded me of the Archeological Museum in Amman) – more room than there is now for them.
See also: http://www.glassismore.com
Related museums in Gaziantep:
Archaeological museum Gaziantep
Zeugma museum Gaziantep
Street cats in Adana
he street cats’ behaviour, they are afraid. It was almost impossible to take pictures of street cats because they would run away immediately like this very small and sad kitten. It really panicked, terrible; it did not think ‘hey here is a friend that will give me some food’. The only cat I could photograph quitely was a sick cat, also quite sad: 
Elections in Turkey are coming up and it is impossible to overlook them! I went to a trade mission in Adana and Mersin last week with the Dutch ambassador, his team and other entrepreneurs and we saw and heard the elections everywhere. Cars with loudspeakers shout out their messages: ‘Hey Adana’ and then the text of their campaign follows in a volume that forms an interruption for your conversation – just wait untill they passed to continue.
Istanbul religious souvenirs
